A-1665/S-1253

Revises SHBP and SEHBP to cover treatment for alcoholism, other substance-use disorders, and non biologically-based mental illnesses under same terms and conditions as for other diseases or illnesses.

NJEA supports A-1665 (Johnson, Vainieri Huttle, Diegnan, Gusciora)/S-1253 (Vitale, Gordon, Allen). This bill provides for expanded health insurance coverage for treatment of mental and nervous disorders and alcoholism and other substance-use disorders in the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP)/School Employees Health Benefits Program (SEHBP). It would require that the state program provide coverage for non-biologically-based disorders included in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) under the same terms and conditions provided for any other sickness under the policy.

Although federal law addresses mental health coverage parity, self-insured, non-federal programs, such as the SHBP and SEHBP are permitted to exempt themselves from this requirement and have done so. Therefore, these programs have visit and day limits for non-biologically-based mental health conditions.

Yet mental health parity could lead to savings. In Minnesota, Blue Cross Blue Shield’s insurance premiums fell by 5 percent to 6 percent after one year under the state’s comprehensive parity law, while in North Carolina, expenses for mental health services have decreased since the state enacted parity for state and local employees in 1992. And the cost of coverage only went up half a percentage point for federal employees when their health programs were required to provide parity coverage in 2001. (Council of State Governments, http://www.csg.org/knowledgecenter/docs/TIA_MH_Parity.pdf)

Lack of sufficient mental health care might be a contributing factor to the recent senseless tragedies in Connecticut and Colorado of which we are all aware. And limits on mental health coverage now, when both school employees and students might find themselves “collateral mental health victims” is the wrong thing to do.